Ski bench



Feb. 23, 1943. 1, G, HUEBNER 2,312,165

SKI BENCH Filed March 14,A 1941 J'AMES G. HUEBNER INVENTOR.-

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SKI BENCH James G. Huebner, Fresno, Calif. Application March 14, 1941, Serial No. 383,276

8 Claims.

My invention relates to a ski bench for finishing, edging, binding installation, waxing, and repairing skis.

Skis are formed with a camber extending the greater part of their length, and a curved for- Ward end known as a shovel. In the process of manufacture, there are numerous operations to be performed upon them after they have reached this stage, some of the work being done in the factory, and some of the work being done in ski shops which sell or rent skis.

In many of the o-perations it is desirable that the ski be firmly supported along its entire length and securely retained in place Various makeshift devices have been employed in an attempt to accomplish this, but so far as I am aware no one prior to my invention has devised a special work bench for this purpose.

It is an object of my invention to provide a special work bench for finishing, edging, binding installation, waxing, and repairing skis, in

which the. skis are firmly supported along-substantially their entire length in either upright or inverted position. Thus the skis may be clamped upright on my ski bench for attaching bindings, -sanding for refinishing, varnishing, etc.

The' skis may be clamped in an inverted position and'equally Well supported for routing, edging, scraping,y waxing, and repairing. Y

Afurther object of my invention is to provide vin a special work bench of the character described a recess'to accommodate the rib on the lupper surface of the skis.

.. A further'objeoty vof my invention is to provide ,inl a special work bench of the character described a removable insert which when in place,

provides a curved upper surface conforming to the camber of the skis, and when removed provides a concave support conforming to the skis when inverted, and further including a recess for Vaccommodation of the ski binding.

the line 3-3 of Figurel.

. Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2. Y

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side view of the forward end of the bench illustrating a modified form of front clamp.

Figure 6 is ya bottom plan View of the block of the clamp shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section taken on a line 'I-'I of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a View similar to Figure 7 illustrating a modified form of insert member.

On a pair of end pedestals 5 and supporting members B are secured longitudinal members I making up the table portion of the bench. These members 'I are disposed in pairs upon each pair of which may be positioned one ski designated S. For convenience I prefer to form the bench with two pairs of members l to accommodate a pair of skis. The members 'I are all identical. Each comprises two parts, a fixed lower section or member 8 and a removable insert member 9. Each member 8 has a curved tapered rear face I0, a curved tapered forward face II and an intermediate depression I2.

The member 9 lits the upper surface of the member 8, and seats thereon without auxiliary attachment.

The upper faces of the members 9 are curved to conform to the camber of skis when in normal position. The ski is clamped to the bench in this position as subsequently described, and is thereby supported along substantially its entire length.

For working on the skis in an inverted position, the members 9 arev removed. I have provided hooks I3 to conveniently hold the members 9 when they are not in use. The tapered faces I0 and II of the members 8 are designed to conform to the contour of the skis when inverted, and the depression I2 accommodates the binding of the skis. Inasmfuch as the binding extends substantially across the entire width of the skis, it is impossible to provide complete support in the region of the bindings, but as I have provided support ior the skis when inverted along a substantial portion of their length, I have achieved by the design of my bench the maximum support obtainable, which has been found in practice to be adequate. When the skis are inverted the ribs R thereof extend downwardly into the space between the members 8.

The skis are held in position by clamps I4 at the rear end of the bench and I5 at the forward end of the bench. Skis are of different lengths, although the general camber thereof is the same, and to accommodate different length skis I have made the clamp I4 of a special design. It comprises a longitudinal rod I6 anchored between and parallel to the members 8 by cross bolts or pins il. A clamping bolt I8 is formed with an eye i9 which is slidable on the longitudinal rod I6. The bolt I8 passes through a block 20 which has an overlying lip or extension 2|, the latter of which is adapted to be forced down upon the rear end of the ski whether the ski is in upright or in inverted position. The block may be made of wood, metal, hard rubber, or any other suitable material. The part which contacts the ski may be faced with a cushioning material if desired.

It will be obvious that other forms of rea-r clamps may be employed.

The front clamp l is preferably used 'only when clamping the skis in upright-position. This clamp is L shaped as illustrated in Figure 3, a threaded extension of which passes through the supporting member 6. That part ofthe clamp I5 which engages the ski may be covered with a cushioning `vmaterial if 'desired.

For securing the skis at the forward end when inverted I prefer to use another form of clamp indicated as 22 in Figure 2. This clamp has a threaded section 23 'which extends through the 'supporting member 5, an oblique section 213, and

an upper flat extension 25 which engages the shovel of the'ski and secures it tightly Vuponthe curved forward end of 'thefmember 8 indicated bythe reference numeral '26, which curved portion conforms to thecurv'e of the shovel. That partof the clamp 22 whichenga'ges the'skima7 'also Vloe'co'vered with 'a cushioning material.

(A modified Afront clampis illustrated in VFigures 5v and'. It'compris'es a cross pin '3b threaded atboth ends and'a'pair'of'ey'e bolts 3l mounted onthe pinoutside the members '8, and secured byf'wing nuts 32. Theeye'bolts'extend through ablok 33, whichcan be tighteneddown by Y'wing nuts 3d. The block is preferably formed lwith a wedge shaped slot which is shallow at Ythe widefpart'of the slot and deep at the narrow 'end of theslot, to snugly engage thetip of the'ski. In use,:the wing nuts 32 may be used to'set`the position of the bolts 3|, which is det'erm'inedby 'the'tof theslot 35`on the ski, and the wing nuts 34thenscrewed down A'to clamp the block 33onthe ski.

In operation, assuming that Cthe insert members S are in position, the ski 'S ora pair`off's'kis S` is placed upon the bench in the postion'illustratedin'Figure 1 The clampldisshifted into the correct position, and'thethumb nuts of the clamps'hi andl are screwed down. Work'rriay then proceedupon the uppersurface'of theski,

'such'for example as iinishing,'installing bindings, and repairing.

'When work on the top vof 'the ski is finished, the clamps may be loosened, the ski removed, and the 'insert Vmembers Staken out andpl'aced'in the hooks I3.

, After the insert members 9 have been removed,

4the skis may then be vinverted and placed on -the bench as illustrated in Figure 2, whereuponthe clamp Il! is screwed down' on'the tail or heelf theski, and preferably a clamp such' as illustrated at 22 replaces the clamp l5 and is screwed do'wn on the shovel of the sin'. The bindings indicated at B are' accommodated in the recess l2. While the skis/are thus clamped, operations such for example `as routing, edging, scraping, waxing, and repairing mayy be performed.

The illustration of the pedestals `5 is by way `of example only, These' pedestals may be supported c,

-upon'a floor; or'theymay be 'eliminated entirely '75 and replaced by some other form of frame or supporting means. The supporting member 6 may itself be the top of a table or bench. I prefer to mount the pairs of members 1 in reasonably close proximity, with a solid member between as illustrated, providing for easy accessibility of both skis of the pair, as well as a receptacle for tools. An adjunct, which is not a part of this invention, may be an electric socket mounte'd in 'the member 6 between the pairs of members 1. Such a feature facilitates the use of electric tools in connection with the bench.

While two pairs of inserts 9 have been shown land described, it would be equivalent to utilize intermediate ydepression Yto accommodate the bindingof a ski, removable insert members Ahaving a surface substantiallyccnforming 'to and 'adapted to seat securely'on the ccncavity o fsaid nverted ski supporting surfac'einplace offa 'ski and having a convex @interface conforming to the camber 'of an Vupright ski fand providing a supporting surfacefor anupright sk'i, andineans t0 clamp a ski securely on either of isaid supporting surfaces.

, 2. A device as described in claim v2 v in whichA the concave face of the invertedski supporting surface merges into yanj'abrupt convex :forward end conforming lto vthe shovel of "an inverted ski. 3. A-work'benchfor'supportingskis when/'pier- `forming operations thereon comprisingzfa base,

an inverted ski supporting'surface Vpermanently mountedon thebase having a'concave facefsubstantially conforming to the'camberof'an invert'edski andincludi'ng ac'entral longitudinal space to accommo'datethe rib of fa skiand jan intermediate depression to j-'accommofdate -the binding of a ski, removable insert'members hjaving a surface substantially conforming to"an"dy adapted to seat securely on theconcavity oftsaid inverted Vski'supporting-surface*in place ofa ski 'and having a convexupper 'faceconforminglto the camber of an upright 'skifa'n'd "providing fa supporting surface 'for an` upright'skijand/ means to clamp a'ski securely on either of saidjsup'porting surfaces, saidmeansu including a taiVClamp adapted toengage the heel cfjthe ski "andincluding meansto shift the'clamp"longitudinally of the supportingsurfaceto 'clamp'skisoffdif-v ferent lengths. Y M v 4. A work bench'for supporting 'skis when'pe'rforming operations thereon comprising; fa' ski supporting surface including" parallel spacedapart members, a tail clamp for securingthejtail of a ski to the supporting surfaceincluding 'jarod mounted between the said members longitudinally thereof abolt slidably' mounted on said rod, and a clampinggelement "onthc bolt adapted to overlie the heel of the ski.

5. A work bench for supporting skis when performing operations thereon comprisingrja'ba'se, an inverted ski supportingsurface:permanently mounted on the base having'a` 'concaveface substantially conforming to`the"'carnb'er fran" inverted ski `and including a central'l'cngitu'dinal space to accommodate the rib of a ski, a removable insert having a. surface substantially conforming to and adapted to seat securely on the concavity of said inverted ski supporting surface in place of a ski and having a convex upper face conforming to the camber of an upright ski and providing a supporting surface for an upright ski, and means to clamp a ski securely on either of said supporting surfaces.

6. A device as described in claim 5 in which the concave face of the inverted ski supporting surface merges into an labrupt convex forward end conforming to the shovel of an inverted ski.

7. A work bench for supporting skis When performing operations thereon comprising: a base, an inverted ski supporting surface permanently mounted on the base having a concave face substantially conforming to the camber of an inverted ski and including a central longitudinal space to accommodate the rib of a ski and an intermediate depression to accommodate the binding of a ski, a removable insert having a surface substantially conforming to and adapted to seat securely on the concavity of said inverted ski supporting surface in place of a ski and having a convex upper face conforming to the camber of an upright ski and providing a supporting surface for an upright ski, and means to clamp ya ski securely on either of said supporting surfaces.

8. A device as described in claim 7 in which the concave face of the inverted ski supporting surface merges into an abrupt convex forward end conforming to the shovel of an inverted ski.

JAMES G. HUEBNER. 

